For many reasons, it was a successful and exciting year for the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) as the organisation focused on the standards and measurement needs of stakeholders within the various sectors. Our remarkable achievements as the National Standards Body required strategically overcoming the challenges of the prevailing pandemic and the acquisition of human and capital resources. It also required being proactive in developing the requisite standards and timely delivery of services demanded by the industry. The following were some of our major achievements in the last year:
The GNBS opened three new branch offices in 2021; the Corriverton Office, Region Six in April, Bartica Office Region Seven in March and Mahdia Office Region Eight in November. These offices were opened to allow the GNBS to better serve businesses and consumers in the respective Regions.
In August, to better serve Guyana’s burgeoning energy industry, the GNBS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the American Petroleum Institute (API). At this event, the Standardisation Department also launched its Standards Portal to make its over 500 national standards, readily accessible to manufacturers, suppliers and others. A total of 11 new standards were developed in 2021 and 11 were revised to continually meet the needs of stakeholders.
The highlight of activities for the GNBS in 2021 was its National Quality Awards (NQA) Ceremony held in October to reward businesses for their commitment to quality products and services. The third edition of the NQA saw the participation of thirty-six (36) Guyanese companies, and winners were awarded in five overall categories – Manufacturing, Services, Small Business Manufacturing, Small Business Services and Agro-Processing. Specific awards for customer focus, continuous improvement, health & safety and environmental initiatives were also presented to successful companies. Meanwhile, the GNBS unveiled the Made in Guyana mark at the NQA Ceremony. The mark will be used to certify authentic Guyanese products to increase consumer preference, brand recognition and market access.
Under the GNBS’ established Certification programmes, several new products and laboratories were certified in 2021 based on the requirements of National Standards. The products include bathtubs and shower units, gold jewellery, PVC pipes and concrete hollow blocks. For laboratories, the Veterinary Services Laboratory of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), Max Hanoman Medical Centre Laboratory, IMEX Incorporated Laboratory and Caresworth Medical Centre Laboratory were certified by the GNBS.
One of the Bureau’s main roles is the verification of measuring instruments; a service which was further expanded in 2021 with the addition of Breathalysers and Speed guns mainly used by the Guyana Police. In addition, throughout 2021, the Legal Metrology Department verified a total of 44,501 measuring instruments used in trade and conducted exercises and 5,719 surveillance visits to shops markets and other retail outlets to ensure compliance.
Further, the GNBS continued to monitor 17 categories of products to ensure only quality gets to consumers. Importantly, the Product Compliance department commenced the monitoring of a number of electrical fittings and equipment to protect consumers from substandard and defective products. In addition to other products, over 10,000 pieces of substandard electrical fittings and equipment were seized and destroyed during the last year.
To support business growth and development, the GNBS took some critical steps to align the services of its Business Development department in 2021. This resulted in the department offering customised training and technical support to help businesses implement standards. The GNBS Business Development Team professionally trained more than 700 personnel from the public and private sectors.
As it relates to Oil and Gas –the newest and fastest developing sector in the local economy, the GNBS in 2021 established its Oil and Gas Department dedicated to serving the industry. This Department worked closely with the Ministry of Natural Resources to carry out its responsibility to monitor measurements in the custody transfer process on the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.
Finally, amongst GNBS key achievements for 2021, the Industrial Metrology and Testing Laboratory was accredited to the ISO 17025 Standard – General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. This significant achievement came through hard work and dedication and enables our laboratories to demonstrate competence and produce valid measurement results, which are accepted worldwide.
The GNBS extends gratitude to all its stakeholders for having confidence in the standards and services it provided over the last year. In the New Year 2022, the National Standards Body will continue to work to create a culture of quality in Guyana through its responsiveness to the needs of industry and the education and protection of consumers. A HAPPY, SAFE AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL!
